Students organize election rally in quad

Laney student and spoken word poet Soulja Joy speaks out during Election 2008 rally October 29 in the quad. Reginald James/HARAMBEE

Jazz Hudson, a 20-year old Laney College Psychology major, has already made up her mind on who she is voting for U.S. President.

She will be voting for Cynthia McKinney, an African American woman and the former Congresswoman from Georgia who is the Green Party's candidate for President.

While Hudson could be considered rare as she is one of only a handful of people who are aware of the third-party U.S. Presidential candidates--who have been barred from the nationally televised debates--she didn't know too much about what else is on the ballot. She is not alone.

More young people are registered to vote than at any time in history and record numbers of people are voting early in Alameda County, particularly the younger voters excited about the presidential elections and the prospect of Sen. Barack Obama (D-ILL) becoming the first African American U.S. President. But on one of the largest, and most controversial, ballots in California history, many people don't know much about the important issues appearing below the race for U.S. president.

Californians for Justice (CFJ) organized "Election 2008: It's your ballot, don't bail out!" on October 29 in the Laney College quad to inform students about the various statewide propositions and local measures on the November ballot, and encourage them to actually get out and vote.

"Many local measures will affect us as working people, women," said Yvonne Tran, a CFJ organizer and Laney student. "People are just going to the polls voting blindly," added Tran, sporting a red shirt which read, "I pity the fool that don't vote."

Most students "only know about [Barack] Obama and [John] McCain," said Laney College student and CFJ volunteer Grisell Ferreyra. "But it's more than that."

Social justice advocates and activists distributed literature and spoke to students to educate them about various measures, and to remind them to vote. The event began with poetry by spoken word artist Laney student Soulja Joy, who poetry touched on topics ranging from the prison-industrial complex, healthcare, education and transportation. When she asked "How many people have a loved one incarcerated?" and "How many have a loved one who was lost to violence?" the majority of those in attendees raised their hands.

"Most people haven't heard that there's a proposition trying to take $1 billion from schools and healthcare, to put into prisons," said Daniel Fields, a CFJ student who attends both Laney and COA. He emceed and helped organized the event after learning about the various ballot measures at a CFJ meeting.

"When we educate them, they are shocked to hear that their vote will do more than impact the White House," said Fields.

"Proposition 6 will bankrupt the state of California," said Kijani Tafari, Director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights' Bay Area PoliceWatch initiative. "It will use money that should be used for education and healthcare and funnels it into the putting people into prisons."

"Proposition 9 keeps them in [prison] longer once they get there," he added, noting that California spends more money on locking people up than in educating them.

One of the most controversial measures on the ballot is Proposition 8, which eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry. In addition to a table with No on 8 literature, a mock-marriage photo shoot was set up for anyone to marry. Couples even received certificates recognizing their unions.

"People seemed excited about marrying," said Holly Labus, a Laney Child Psychology major and CFJ volunteer. "About 25-30 couples got married. A couple [people] even got married three times."

Speaking on local measures, Lindsay Imai from Urban Habitat urged students to support AC Transit's Measure VV. Imai recently worked with a coalition of youth groups to oppose proposed fare increases on AC Transit for youth, seniors, and people with disabilities. AC Transit's Board of Directors voted to put Measure VV on the ballot, opposed to increasing fares.

"Vote Yes on VV" shouted Imai.

CFJ has registered nearly 100 students and spoke with about 600 altogether. In September, AC Transit's Voter Registration Bus was on campus and, with help from the Alameda County Voter Registrars Office, registered over 80 students also.

"Reading the ballot, there is a lot of jargon and it can be hard to decipher," said Tran, who observed "students have been grateful" for their efforts to inform them.

For more information about the various ballot measures, visit http://www.smartvoter.org.